Systems and methods for attachment of vehicle accessories

ABSTRACT

An anchor fixture, for attaching accessories to a vehicle surface has a fixture body with a base for attaching to the vehicle surface. The fixture body has an anchor aperture for receiving an anchor of a first accessory, a fastener aperture for receiving a tongue fastener of a second accessory, and an anchor chamber disposed at least partly outwardly of the anchor aperture and communicating with the anchor aperture and the fastener aperture. The fastener aperture central axis is parallel or at an acute angle to the base. Accessories and accessory attachment systems are presented. Another fixture has a slot defined by the fixture body for receiving a vehicle accessory projection and a surface opposite the slot for engaging the projection. The slot is adapted to receive an anchor which selectively engages a surface adjacent to the slot. Accessories with anchors and corresponding projections are also presented.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/618,505 filed on Mar. 30, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems and methods for attachment ofaccessories to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles such as snowmobiles often carry miscellaneous accessories forpersonal items, fuel, equipment, and the like, in addition topassengers. The vehicles may be provided with sections or racks and thelike to carry cargo. Other sections or arrangements may be also providedto add passengers. The cargo items are often secured to parts of thevehicles by ropes, cords, tie-downs and the like. This is however, not aconvenient method for transporting objects on a vehicle. Jerks and bumpsexperienced during travel can sometimes result in objects shiftingwithin the spaces in which they were placed, or loosening from the gripsof the tying cords. It is not always easy to find a space having theideal shape or size for carrying particular objects, or to find a hookor structure for securing an object to in the desired location.

Additionally, some accessories such as seats, armrests and the like aregenerally permanently attached to the snowmobile or other vehicle, anddo not allow them to be easily interchanged or substituted. It would beuseful to have these accessories be detachable or adjustable, forinstance, so that the vehicle can be easily customized for differentdrivers and passengers.

Therefore, there is a need for a robust, reliable, and versatile systemfor transporting objects and accessories in vehicles.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least some ofthe inconveniences present in the prior art.

In one aspect, an anchor fixture for vehicle accessories is provided.The anchor fixture comprises a fixture body having a base. The base isadapted to be connected to a vehicle surface. An anchor aperture isdefined by the fixture body, the anchor aperture being adapted toreceive therethrough an anchor of a first vehicle accessory. An anchorchamber communicates with the anchor aperture. At least a portion of theanchor chamber being disposed outwardly of the anchor aperture in adirection perpendicular to a central axis of the anchor aperture. Thecentral axis of the anchor aperture is normal to the anchor aperture. Afastener aperture is defined at least in part by the fixture body andcommunicating with the anchor chamber. The fastener aperture is adaptedto receive a fastener of a second vehicle accessory. A central axis ofthe fastener aperture is one of parallel to the base and at an acuteangle to the base. The central axis of the fastener aperture is normalto the fastener aperture.

In a further aspect, an accessory base is provided. The accessory basecomprises a frame adapted to be attached to at least a portion of abottom surface of an accessory. A tongue, adapted for insertion into afastener aperture, is attached to the frame at a first end portion thetongue. An anchor is attached at a second end portion of the frameopposite the first end portion. The anchor has an anchor base and ananchor lock extending from the anchor base. The anchor lock is rotatableabout an axis perpendicular to the anchor base between a locked positionand an unlocked position.

In an additional aspect, an accessory is provided. The accessory has anaccessory body having a bottom surface an accessory base. The accessorybase comprises a frame removably attached to at least a portion of thebottom surface. A tongue, adapted for insertion into a fasteneraperture; is attached to the frame at a first end portion. An anchor isattached at a second end portion of the frame opposite to the first endportion. The anchor has an anchor base and an anchor lock extending fromthe anchor base. The anchor lock is rotatable about an axisperpendicular to the anchor base between a locked position and anunlocked position.

In a further aspect, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle has a frame, aseat connected to the frame, a propulsion system connected to the frame,a driving system operatively connected to the propulsion system, and aplurality of external vehicle surfaces connected to the frame andenclosing the frame. At least one anchor fixture is connected to atleast one of the plurality of external vehicle surface. The anchorfixture comprises a fixture body having a base which is connected to theexternal vehicle surfaces. An anchor aperture is defined by the fixturebody. The anchor aperture is adapted to receive therethrough an anchorof a first vehicle accessory. An anchor chamber communicates with theanchor aperture. At least a portion of the anchor chamber is disposedoutwardly of the anchor aperture in a direction perpendicular to acentral axis of the anchor aperture. The central axis of the anchoraperture is normal to the anchor aperture. A fastener aperture isdefined at least in part by the fixture body and communicating with theanchor chamber. The fastener aperture is adapted to receive a fastenerof a second vehicle accessory therein. A central axis of the fasteneraperture is parallel to the base or at an acute angle to the base. Thecentral axis of the fastener aperture is normal to the fasteneraperture.

In an additional aspect, a fixture is provided for attaching a vehicleaccessory to the vehicle. The fixture comprises a fixture body adaptedto be attached to the vehicle. The fixture body defines a slot forreceiving a projection of the vehicle accessory. At least one surface ofthe fixture body is disposed opposite the slot and adapted to engage thevehicle accessory projection. The slot is further adapted to receive aportion of an anchor of the vehicle accessory. The vehicle accessoryanchor selectively engages a surface inside the body adjacent to theslot.

In an additional aspect, an accessory for a vehicle fixture is provided.The accessory has at least one projection extending outward and adaptedto be received in a slot defined by the vehicle fixture. The at leastone projection is adapted to be engaged by a surface of the vehiclefixture disposed opposite the slot when the at least projection isinserted in the slot. An anchor is attached to a surface of theaccessory. The anchor has an anchor base and an anchor lock extendingfrom the anchor base. The anchor lock is adapted to selectively engage asurface adjacent to the slot.

In a further aspect, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle comprises atleast one fixture, attached to a portion of the vehicle, and a vehicleaccessory attached to the at least one fixture. Each fixture comprises afixture body attached to the vehicle. The fixture body defines a slotfor receiving a projection of the vehicle accessory. At least onesurface of the fixture body is disposed opposite the slot and adapted toengage the vehicle accessory projection. The slot is further adapted toreceive a portion of an anchor of the vehicle accessory. The vehicleaccessory anchor selectively engages a surface inside the body adjacentto the slot. The vehicle accessory comprises at least one projectionextending outward and received in the slot. The at least one projectionis engaged by the at least one surface of the vehicle fixture disposedopposite the slot. An anchor, attached to a surface of the accessory, isalso included. The anchor has an anchor base and an anchor lockextending from the anchor base. The anchor lock is adapted toselectively engage a surface of the fixture body adjacent to the slot.

For purposes of the present application, terms related to spatialorientation when referring to a vehicle and components in relation tothe vehicle, such as “forwardly”, “rearwardly”, “left”, “right”, “above”and “below”, are as they would be understood by a driver of the vehicle,with the vehicle, in a straight ahead orientation (i.e. not steered leftor right), and in an upright position. When referring to a componentalone, terms related to spatial orientation should be taken with respectto the component itself. The explanations provided above regarding theabove terms take precedence over explanations of these terms that may befound in any one of the documents incorporated herein by reference.

Embodiments of the present invention each have at least one of theabove-mentioned object and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have allof them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presentinvention that have resulted from attempting to attain theabove-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfyother objects not specifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages ofembodiments of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as otheraspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, where:

FIG. 1A is a right side elevation view of a snowmobile;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of portionsof the snowmobile of FIG. 1 showing a jerry can secured to anchorfixtures on a tunnel of the snowmobile, one of the anchor fixtureshaving an anchor attached thereto;

FIG. 1B shows a perspective view taken from a bottom, right side of theanchor of FIG. 1B in isolation;

FIGS. 2A-2E are various close-up views of a right one of the anchorfixtures of FIG. 1B; FIG. 2A shows a perspective view taken from afront, left side; FIG. 2B shows a perspective view taken from a rear,right side; FIG. 2C shows a front elevation view; FIG. 2D shows a topplan view; and FIG. 2E shows a rear elevation view of the anchor fixtureof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of a part ofthe snowmobile tunnel of FIG. 2A showing an accessory base with twodifferent mounting elements for mounting to the anchor fixture of FIG.2A;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view taken from a rear, right side of apart of the snowmobile tunnel of FIG. 3 showing the accessory basemounted to the two anchor fixtures;

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are respectively a rear elevation view, a bottomplan view and a front elevation view of the accessory base of FIG. 3,showing the anchor and a lever of the anchor, respectively in anunlocked and open position;

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are respectively a rear elevation view, a bottomplan view and a front elevation view of the accessory base of FIG. 3,showing the anchor and the lever respectively in a locked position and aclosed position;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view taken from a front, right side of thejerry can of FIG. 1 and the accessory base of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7B is a top plan view of the jerry can of FIG. 7A mounted on theaccessory base with the anchor in an unlocked position and the strap inan open position;

FIG. 7C is a bottom plan view of the jerry can of FIG. 7A mounted on theaccessory base with the anchor in an unlocked position and the strapremoved.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view taken from a rear, left side of a bag andan accessory base according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 8B is a perspective view taken from a rear, left side of the bagand an accessory base of FIG. 8A shown in an assembled configuration;

FIGS. 9A-9C are various views of a side bag having an anchor bracket;FIG. 9A is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side thereof;FIG. 9B is a left side elevation view thereof and FIG. 9C is a top planview thereof;

FIGS. 10A-10D are perspective views of portions of the snowmobile takenfrom a rear, right side thereof illustrating the steps for mounting twoside bags and a jerry can to the tunnel of the snowmobile;

FIG. 11A is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of portionsof the snowmobile showing a backrest secured thereto by means of afixture according to another embodiment;

FIG. 11B is a left side elevation view of the snowmobile of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 11C is a top plan view of the snowmobile of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12 is a a close-up left side elevation view of the left armrest andthe left fixture of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 13A is a partially exploded perspective view taken from a top, leftside of the left armrest and the left fixture of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 13B is a partially exploded view taken from a top, left side of theright armrest and right fixture of FIG. 11A; and

FIGS. 14A-14F are close-up views of the left fixture of the snowmobileof FIG. 11A; FIG. 14A is a perspective view taken from a top, rear sidethereof; FIG. 14B is a left side elevation view thereof; FIG. 14C is atop plan view thereof; FIG. 14D is a rear elevation view thereof; FIG.14E is a front elevation view; and FIG. 14F is a right side elevationview of the fixture on the left side of the snowmobile of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1A, the middle and rear part of a snowmobile,shown generally as 1, will be described generally. It should beunderstood that the snowmobile 1 could be another type of snowmobile,and could have a construction other than the one described. Thesnowmobile 1 has a front end 2′ and a rear end 2, which are defined withrespect to the forward travel direction of the snowmobile 1.

The snowmobile 1 includes a chassis 130 which includes a tunnel 4. A ski26 and steering assembly 136 is provided at the front end 2′ of thesnowmobile 1. The engine 124 and a belt transmission system 120 (shownschematically) disposed near the front end 3 are enclosed by fairings154 which not only protect the engine 124 and the belt transmissionsystem 120, but can also be decorated to make the snowmobile 1 moreaesthetically pleasing.

In the rear section, an endless drive track 138 is disposed under thetunnel 4. The endless drive track 138 is operatively connected to theengine 124 through the belt transmission system 120. The endless drivetrack 138 is driven to run about a rear suspension assembly 148 forpropulsion of the snowmobile 1. The endless drive track 138 is suspendedfor movement relative to the chassis 130, by a rear suspension assembly148. The rear suspension assembly 148 includes a slide frame assembly144 which primarily includes a pair of spaced apart slide rails 144 thatengage the inner side of the ground-engaging portion of the endlessdrive track 138. A snowflap 5 is disposed at the rear end 2 of thesnowmobile 1.

A snowmobile driver seat 3 is installed in the rear section of thesnowmobile 1. A rear portion of the seat 3 may include a storagecompartment, or may be used to accept a passenger seat 70 (FIG. 11A).

With reference to FIG. 1B, an accessory 6 is anchored rearwards of theseat 3 on the upper surface 12 of the tunnel 4 by an anchor 8 secured toan anchor fixture 200 on the upper surface of the tunnel 4. Theaccessory 6 is a jerry can used for transporting fuel on longerexcursions. The anchor 8 and the fixture 200 securing the accessory 6 tothe snowmobile tunnel 4, and their operation will be discussed ingreater detail below.

The snowmobile 1 has other features and components which would bereadily recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, furtherexplanation and description of these components will not be providedherein.

With reference to FIG. 1C, an exemplary anchor 8 includes an anchor base20 and an anchor lock 22 extending from an anchor base 20. The anchorlock 22 and the anchor base 20 are separated by a space 24 wherein oneor more surfaces can be held anchored together. The anchor base 20 andanchor lock 22 have an elongated shape. The anchor lock 22 is rotatableabout an axis 26 perpendicular to the anchor base 20 between a lockedposition and an unlocked position that are separated by a quarter turn.In the unlocked position, the anchor lock 22 is disposed parallel to theanchor base 20, and in the locked position, the anchor lock 22 isdisposed perpendicular to the anchor base 20. The anchor lock 22 extendsfrom a stem 28 disposed along the axis 26. A lever 30 in the portion 32of the anchor 8 that extends above the base 20 is rotatable about theaxis 26 and is operatively connected to the anchor lock 22 to move theanchor lock 22 between the locked and unlocked positions. The locked andunlocked positions of the anchor 8 correspond to the anchor lock 22being rotated by 90 degrees relative to the anchor base 20, and to thelever 30 being correspondingly turned by 90 degrees. It is contemplatedthat the anchor lock 22 could be turned by more or less than 90 degreesto engage an aperture 230 (FIG. 2A) in the fixture 200. It is alsocontemplated that the lever 30 could be turned by a different angle thanthe anchor base 20 in order to move the anchor 8 between locked andunlocked positions. International Patent Publication No. WO 2012/002959A1, published on 5 Jan. 2012, the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference, provides additional details regarding anchorssimilar in construction to the anchor 8, and will not be discussed herein more detail.

With reference to FIGS. 2A through 2E, an anchor fixture 200, has afixture body 210 with top 212, front 214, left side 216, right side 218and rear 220 portions, each portion having an interior and an exteriorsurface. The fixture body 210 also has a base 222. An anchor aperture230, designed for an anchor 8 to be inserted into, is defined throughthe top portion 212 of the anchor fixture 200. The anchor aperture 230leads downwards through the top portion 212 to an anchor chamber 232.The anchor chamber 232, below the anchor aperture 230, extends outwardstowards the front surface 214. A fastener aperture 240, designed for theinsertion of a tongue fastener 310 (FIG. 3) is defined in the frontsurface 214A pair of fasteners 226 inserted through a pair of fastenerholes 224 in the fixture body 210 are used to secure the fixture 200into fastener holes 227 defined in a vehicle surface.

The central axis 244 of the fastener aperture 240 (axis normal to thefastener aperture 240) is perpendicular to the central axis 246 of theanchor aperture 230 (axis perpendicular to the anchor aperture 230) andparallel to the base 222. The fastener aperture central axis 244generally defines an acute angle with the anchor fixture base 222. It iscontemplated that the central axes 244, 246 could be disposed at otherangles to each other and to the anchor fixture base 222.

The elongated anchor lock 22 of an anchor 8 is inserted into the anchorchamber 232 through the anchor aperture 230 of top portion 212. Theanchor lock 22 selectively engages the interior surface of the topportion 212 of the anchor chamber 232 when rotated between the unlockedposition and the locked position. The anchor aperture 230 is elongatedto allow insertion of the elongated anchor lock 22 into the anchorchamber 232, and the anchor chamber 232 extends outwards from the anchoraperture 230 to allow rotation of the elongated anchor lock 22 withinthe anchor chamber 232.

The anchor aperture 230 is in the shape of an irregular hexagon. Theanchor aperture 230 is also contemplated to have other shapes such ascircular, elliptical, polygonal and the like, depending on the anchorshape and anchor mechanism contemplated for use with the anchor fixture.For anchors 8 of the type shown in FIG. 1C, the anchor aperture 230 canbe any elongated shape such as elliptical, rectangular or an irregularpolygon. The anchor aperture 230 has a chamfered rim 234, however, it iscontemplated that the rim 234 could be unchamfered.

The anchor chamber 232 leading from the anchor aperture 230 is boundedpartly by the interior surfaces of the anchor fixture 210, however, itis contemplated that the anchor chamber 232 could have more or fewerboundary surfaces than as shown, in part based on the anchor shape andselective engagement mechanism. The fastener aperture 240 in the frontsurface is generally rectangular and defined by three edges 240 a, 240b, 240 c of the front surface 214 of the fixture body 210. The fourthedge of the fastener aperture 240 would be defined by the surface onwhich the anchor fixture is attached. It is contemplated that thefastener aperture can be defined wholly by the fixture body 210 or bythe fixture body 210 and any other surfaces that the anchor fixture 200may be engaged with. For example, the fixture body 210 could define aportion of one or two sides of the fastener aperture 240.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the fastener aperture 240 is designedto be used with a tongue fastener 310 having a toe-in at the end thatcan be inserted into the fastener aperture 240 and retained within theanchor chamber 232 by the edges 240 a,b,c of the fastener aperture 240as seen in FIG. 4. The toe-in of the tongue fastener 310 widenslaterally (in the direction parallel to the plane of the upper surface312 of the frame 302) allowing it to be inserted into the fastener slot240 until it fits tightly. Other structures are contemplated for thetoe-in. It is also contemplated that additional restraining structuressuch as posts or hooks could be associated with the fastener aperture240 to engage the tongue fastener 310, or portions of the tonguefastener 310. For example, the fastener aperture 240 could have a postextending into the anchor chamber 232 to engage and retain a tonguefastener 310 having two prongs at the end.

As will be discussed in further detail below, the anchor fixture 200 isdesigned to be used simultaneously by an anchor 8 and a tongue fastener310. When both the anchor lock 22 and the toe-in 310 are simultaneouslyinserted in the anchor chamber 232, the anchor lock 22 is disposed abovethe toe-in part 311 of the tongue fastener 310. It is contemplated thatthe anchor chamber 232 could therefore have a different shape in thelower portion where the toe-in 310 is disposed than in the upper portionwhere the anchor lock 22 is disposed. For example, the anchor chamber232 could have a trapezoidal shape in the lower portion adjacent to thebase 22 and an elliptical shape in the upper portion adjacent to theanchor aperture 230. It is also contemplated that the anchor chamber 232could be designed such that the anchor lock 22 and the toe-in 310simultaneously inserted in the anchor chamber 232 are disposed on theright and left portions of the anchor chamber 232 or in the front andback portions of the anchor chamber 232.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 to 9, the anchor fixture 200 can be used toattach different kinds of accessories 6, such as a jerry can 6, bag 6′,sidebag 6″, and the like, to a vehicle surface. The anchor fixture 200could also be used to attach accessories having different attachmentstructures. The anchor aperture 230 could be used to attach accessories6 having an anchor 8 integrated with the accessory 6. The anchoraperture 230 of the fixture 200 could also be used in conjunction withan anchor 8, to attach an accessory having an accessory anchor aperture232 defined in the accessory body or in an anchor bracket 202 (FIG. 9)connected to the accessory body 6′ (FIG. 9). The fastener aperture 240could be used to attach an accessory 6 having a tongue fastener 310attached to the accessory body 6. Different kinds of accessories andattachment systems thereof will be described below in further detail.

An accessory without any of the attachment structures mentioned abovecan be attached to a vehicle surface by attaching to the accessory anaccessory base designed to be used with the anchor fixture 200. Withreference to FIGS. 3 to 8, an accessory base shown generally as 300comprises a frame 302, with a tongue fastener 310 at a first end 304 ofthe frame 302 and an anchor 8 integrated with the frame 302 at theopposite end 306. The frame 302 has several criss-crossing ribs 308providing support to the accessory 6. The lever 30 of the anchor 8disposed above the frame 302 while the anchor lock 22 connected to thelever 30 is disposed below the frame 302.

The lever 30 is used to rotate the anchor lock 22 between the lockedposition and unlocked position as mentioned above. In the unlockedposition of the anchor 8, the open lever 30 extends outwards from theframe 302. The lever 30 is turned clockwise (when looking down fromabove the accessory base) in the groove 328 provided in the frame 302for the lever 30 to lock the anchor 8. In the locked position of theanchor 8, the closed lever 30 is disposed adjacent to the frame 302 inthe groove 328 and not extending outwards as in the unlocked position.Thus, when the anchor 8 is locked, the lever 30 is less likely to beaccidentally pushed keeping the anchor 8 securely in lock position. Inthe unlocked position, the elongated anchor lock 22 is disposed parallelto the anchor base 20, and to the edge 307 of the frame 302 as can beseen in FIGS. 5A to 5C 5B. In the locked position, the anchor lock 22 isdisposed perpendicular to the edge 307 of the accessory frame 302 as canbe seen in FIGS. 6A to 6C.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 7B, a strap 50 is provided on the frame302 and attached thereto on one side of the anchor 8. The strap 50 canbe extended over the closed lever 30 and hooked to a tab 350 on theframe 302 on the other side of the anchor 8. In FIG. 4, the anchor 8 isin a locked position, the lever 30 is closed, and the strap 50 isattached over the anchor 8. When the lever 8 is unlocked, the strap 50is left hanging loosely from the frame 302, as seen in FIG. 3, andthereby providing a noticeable visual indication that the anchor 8 isunlocked. The strap 50 is made of rubber, however, it is contemplatedthat the strap 50 can be made of any flexible material. The strap 50 canalso be detachable from the frame 302 so that it can be reused withother accessories 6 or other fixtures 200.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the accessory base 300 is mounted totwo oppositely facing anchor fixtures 200L, 200R on the upper surfaces12L, 12R on either side of the tunnel 4. The tongue fastener 310 isfirst inserted into the fastener aperture 240 of the fixture 200L. Thetongue fastener 310 is retained in the anchor chamber 230 by the edges240 a,b,c, allowing the accessory base 300 to be braced against theanchor fixture 200L while it is installed into the anchor fixture 200R.The anchor 8 at the end 306 of the accessory base 300 is then insertedinto the anchor aperture 230 of the anchor fixture 200R with the anchor8 disposed in an unlocked position. Once the anchor 8 is inserted andthe lever 30 is locked, the rubber strap 50 is extended over the lever30 and attached to the hook 350 on the other side of the anchor 8 asseen in FIG. 4.

With reference to FIG. 7A to 8C, the accessory base 300 is attached toan accessory 6 by fasteners 322. An accessory 6 such as the jerry can 6shown in FIGS. 1B and 7, and the bag 6′ shown in FIG. 8, can be mountedon the upper surface 312 of the frame 302 and fastened to the frame 302with fasteners 322 inserted through holes 320 provided in the frame 302.The accessory base 300 with the accessory 6, 6′ mounted thereon can beinstalled in the fixtures 200 as shown in FIG. 1B.

When viewed from directly above the accessory 6, the accessory base 300is hidden from view underneath the accessory 6. When the anchor 8 is inthe unlocked position, the lever 28 and rubber strap 50 extend out frombeneath the accessory 6 as can be seen in FIG. 7B. In some embodiments,the anchor 8 is attached to the accessory base 300 such that the anchorbase 20 extends out from beneath the accessory 6, 6′ in the unlockedposition when viewed from above. It is also contemplated that anaccessory base 300 could have larger lateral dimensions than theaccessory 6 so that a greater portion of the base 20 is visible whenviewing the accessory 6 mounted on the accessory base 300 from above.The accessory base 300 can be adapted for specific accessories, or itcan be made generally usable for accessories of different dimensions.

The tongue fastener 310 is disposed on the left side 304 of the frame302 at a lower level than the anchor 8, as can be seen in FIGS. 5A and6A, to enable the accessory 6 to be disposed horizontally when the frame302 is mounted on the fixtures 200 on opposite upper surfaces 12L, 12Rof the tunnel 4 of the snowmobile 1. The tongue fastener 310 and theanchor base 20 are integrally attached to the frame 302, however, it iscontemplated that the anchor 8 could be removably attached to the frame302 (or to the anchor fixture 200). An anchor aperture 230 could beprovided on the frame 302 for the removable attachment of the anchor 8,or an anchor bracket 202 having an anchor aperture 230 could be attachedto the frame 302 for using the anchor 8 to attach an accessory 6 to avehicle surface 12 as can be seen in FIG. 9. This would be a usefulfeature, for instance, for using the accessory base in differentconfigurations, such as spacing or orientation, of anchor fixtures 200in different vehicles, or in different parts of the same vehicle.Similarly, it is also contemplated that a tongue bracket 310 with atoe-in 311 could be could be separate from the accessory base 300 andfastened thereto.

The accessory 6 of FIGS. 1B, 7A-7C and 10C-10D is a jerry can 6 used ona snowmobile 1 to transport fuel. The jerry can 6, is shown uncapped inFIG. 7A and capped in FIG. 7B. The jerry can 6 is shown with the lever30 and the rubber strap 50 attached in FIG. 7B and with the rubber strap50 removed in FIG. 7C.

The accessory 6′ of FIG. 8 is a bag 6′ mounted on an accessory base 300′according to a second embodiment. Corresponding features of theaccessory bases 300 and 300′ that are similar have been marked with thesame reference number and will not be discussed herein in detail.Features of the accessory base 300′ that are different from thecorresponding features of the accessory base 300 have been marked withan apostrophe after the reference number. Instead of criss-crossing ribs308, the frame 302′ of the accessory base 300′ has a substantiallycontinuous surface 312′. An anchor 8 is attached on the left end 304′and a tongue fastener (not visible) on the right end 306′ of the frame302′.

The accessory 6″ of FIGS. 9 and 10 is a side bag 6″ having a differentattachment mechanism compared to the jerry can 6 or bag 6′ which arelaterally elongated and attached to two laterally spaced attachmentfixtures 200 via a tongue fastener 310 and an anchor 8. The side bag 6″,which is comparatively less extended in the lateral direction and moreextended in the vertical direction than the jerry can 6 and bag 6′. Theside bag 6″ has an anchor bracket 202 attached in the center of avertically extending surface 252 which faces the side surface 13 of thetunnel 4 when the side bag 6″ is mounted thereon. A keyhole shapedpin-slot 250 is defined in the surface 252 directly below the anchorbracket 202 towards the bottom of the surface 252.

The anchor bracket 202 is a flat plate 203 extending horizontallyoutwards from the surface 252, and having an anchor aperture 230 definedin the center thereof to receive an anchor 8. The bracket 202 can beused to anchor the sidebag 6″ to another anchor bracket 202, or to ananchor fixture 200, using an anchor 8. FIG. 10B shows another embodimentof an anchor bracket 202′. The anchor bracket 202′ is similar to theanchor bracket 200 except that the bracket 202′ has surfaces 204extending downwards from from the edges of the horizontal plate 203perpendicular to the surface 252 and from the edge of the plate 203adjacent and parallel to the surface 252. The surfaces 204 are designedto fit around the exterior surfaces 216, 218 and 220 of the anchorfixture 200 while leaving the tongue fastener aperture 240 unobstructed.The surfaces 204aid in aligning the anchor apertures 230 of the anchorbracket 202′ and anchor fixture 200, and in preventing the anchorbracket 202′ from sliding laterally off the anchor fixture 200 beforebeing fastened with an anchor 8.

A pin 254 (FIG. 10A), having a head and a stem, can be locked in thekey-hole shaped slot 250 by inserting the pin-head into the centre ofthe circular portion of the key-hole shaped slot 250 and then displacingthe pin 254 along the linear section so that the pin 254 cannot beremoved from the slot 250 since the linear section has a narrower widththan the pin-head. The pin 254 and key-hole shaped slot 250 are used tofasten the side bag 6″ to the vertical surface 13 having the pin 254 andextending below the horizontally disposed surface 12 having the anchorfixture 200 disposed above the pin 254. The side bag 6″ is fastened withthe pin 254 to provide stability to the side bag 6″ after the anchorbracket 202, 202′ of the side bag 6″ has been placed on an anchorfixture 200 and before the anchor bracket 202, 202′ has been fastenedwith an anchor 8. It is contemplated that the anchor bracket 202, 202″could be disposed at a non-normal angle to the surface 252 and the sidebag 6″ could be mounted to adjacent surfaces 13 at an angle other thanperpendicular to each other. It is also contemplated that multiple slots250 and multiple anchor brackets 202 could be provided for mountingsidebags 6″, for example, if the side bag 6″ is longer or wider than theone shown in FIG. 8, or if the side bag 6″ is designed to carryrelatively heavier items.

With reference to FIGS. 10A to 10D, the use of anchor fixtures 200 forthe attachment of multiple accessories to a vehicle surface will now bediscussed. Referring to FIG. 10A, the accessories are mounted on thetunnel 4 of a snowmobile 1. The tunnel 4 has anchor fixtures 200L and200R attached on opposite sides on the top left 12L and top right 12Rsurfaces. A pin 254 is mounted on each side surface 13R and 13L belowthe respective anchor fixtures 200R and 200L.

Referring to FIG. 10B, sidebags 6L″ having anchor brackets 202L′ andsidebag 6R″ having the anchor bracket 202R′ are first mountedrespectively on the anchor fixtures 200L and 200R such that the anchoraperture 230 of each anchor fixture 200L, 200R is aligned with theanchor aperture 230 of the corresponding anchor bracket 202L, 202R′. Thekey-hole shaped slots 250 of each sidebag 6L″, 6R″ is engaged with thecorresponding pin 254L, 254R on the corresponding side surfaces 13L, 13Rof the tunnel 4 to support the sidebags 6L″, 6R″ before being fastenedto the respective anchor fixture 200L, 200R. The sidebag 6L″ is fastenedto the anchor fixture 200L with an anchor 8L.

Referring to FIG. 10C, a jerry can 6 mounted to an accessory base (notshown) having a tongue fastener 310 on the left side and an anchor 8 onthe right side is then mounted on the anchor fixtures 200L and 200R. Thetongue fastener 310 of the jerry can 6 is fastened before the anchor 8.The fastener aperture 240L of anchor fixture 200L is used to fasten thetongue fastener 310 of the jerry can 6 as seen in FIG. 10C.

Referring to FIG. 10D, the anchor 8 of the jerry can 6 is finallyinserted into the anchor aperture 230′ of the anchor bracket 202R′ andthe anchor aperture 230 of the anchor fixture 200R and locked, thusfastening the right side of the jerry can 6 and the sidebag 6″ to theanchor fixture 200R, and thereby achieving the installation of threeaccessories 6, 6L″ and 6R″ on the tunnel 4 of the snowmobile 1.

Turning now to FIGS. 11 to 14, a second embodiment of a fixture 500 fordetachable mounting of an accessory to a vehicle will now be described.The fixture 500 is used to mount a detachable backrest 70 for asnowmobile passenger seated in a passenger seat 3 behind the driver seat3. The backrest 70 is attached above the tunnel 4 of the snowmobile 1using fixtures 500R, 500L mounted respectively on the right and leftsides of the tunnel 4. The backrest 70 has a frame comprising a backsupport portion 72 with a left armrest 74R, and a right armrest 74Lrespectively on the right and left sides of the back support portion 72.Each armrest 74R,74L is connected to the back support 72 and thecorresponding fixture 500R, 500L by an armrest mounting portion 76. Thebackrest 70 can be detached when not in use. The backrest 70 could be ofthe adjustable kind with mechanisms for adjusting the height andinclination etc., of the back support 72 and the armrests 74R, 74L.

The left armrest 74L is a mirror image of the right armrest 74R and theleft fixture 500L is a mirror image of the right fixture 500R.Corresponding features of the left and right side armrests 74L, 74R andfixtures 500L, 500R are labeled with the same reference number, and willnot be discussed separately. The terms “outer” and “inner” with respectto each fixture 500R, 500L, as used hereinafter, are with respect to therelevant tunnel side surfaces 13R,13L when the fixture 500R, 500L isattached to the tunnel 4.

As best seen in FIG. 13A, the armrest 74 has a projection 78 extendingdownwards from the base 77 of the mounting portion 76. The projection 78has two prongs 80, 82 joined by a bridge 84 extending between the prongs80, 82. The prongs 82 and 84 are of different lengths and extenddownwards from the generally horizontal mounting portion base 77 at anangle to the vertical direction.

An anchor 8 in the mounting portion base 77 serves to fasten the armrest74 to the fixture 500. The anchor lock 22 of the anchor 8 extends belowthe lower edge 79 of the mounting portion base 77 in the space betweenthe prongs 80 and 82 and above the bridge 84. A lever 30 of the anchor 8extends outside the mounting portion 76 to move the anchor lock 22between the locked and unlocked positions to fasten and unfasten thearmrest 74 with the fixture 500. A strap 50 is attached to a hook 86behind the lever 30. The lever 30 and the hook 86 are disposed in aniche 88 above the mounting portion base 77. The lever 30 is connectedto the anchor lock 22 through the lower wall of the niche 88. A portionof the lever 30 extends out of niche 88 in the open position and isdisposed within the niche 88 in the closed position. The hook 86 isattached on the rear wall of the niche 88. One end of the strap 50 isattached to the hook 86 and the other end can be extended over the lever30 in the closed position and held between the front wall of the niche88 and the lever 30. It is contemplated that a hook, or other attachmentmeans could be provided on the both the front and rear walls of theniche 88 to hold the two ends of the strap 50. It is also contemplatedthat the anchor 8 could not be disposed in a niche, or that instead ofthe lever 30, a button or other actuator means be provided on themounting portion 76 for moving the anchor lock 22 between locked andunlocked positions.

The fixture 500 has a body 510 with an upper wall 512 which is fastenedto the upper surface 12 of the tunnel 4. Fastener holes 520 near theinner edge 518 are provided for attaching the fixture 500 to the tunnel4 using the fastener holes 227 on the upper surface 12 of the tunnel 4.An outer wall 522 extends generally vertically downwards from the outeredge 516 of the upper wall 512. An elongated slot 526 in the upper wall512 has a wider section 528 in the middle portion to allow the anchor 8,of the armrest 74 to be inserted through the slot 526. The prongs 80 and82 of the armrest projection 78, disposed on either side of the anchor 8of the armrest 74, enter the slot 526 on either side of the widersection 528. When inserted through the slot 526 and moved to the lockedposition, the anchor lock 22 engages the lower surface 550 (FIG. 14F) ofthe upper wall 512 directly adjacent the wider section 528 of the slot526, and the anchor base (not shown) engages an upper surface (notshown) in the armrest mounting portion base 77, thus anchoring thearmrest 74 and the fixture 500 together.

The upper wall 512 is fastened to the tunnel upper surface 12 such thatthe vertical outer wall 522 is spaced from the respective tunnel sidesurfaces 13. The upper wall 512 has a ridge 524 adjacent the outer edge516 that engages the armrest mounting base 77 at an inner surfaceadjacent to the lower edge 79 of the mounting portion 76. It iscontemplated that the ridge 524 could be omitted, or some otherstructure be used to engage the mounting portion base 77.

The vertical wall 522 has front 530 and rear 532 vertical sectionswrapping around to the front and rear of the fixture 500. It iscontemplated that the walls 530 and 532 could not be provided. Thevertical wall 522 extends from a top outer edge 516 of the upper wall512 to a bottom edge 514. A fastener hole 521 is defined in the outerwall 522 for attaching the fixture 500 to the tunnel side surface 13.The fixture body 510 has a gap 511 corresponding to the space betweenthe prongs 80, 82 of the armrest projection 78 which is inserted intothe fixture body 510. The gap 511 facilitates handling of the fixture500 during attachment of the fixture 500 to the tunnel surfaces 12, 13,however, it is contemplated that the body 510 could be continuouswithout gaps, or that other means for handling the fixture 500 could beprovided.

It is contemplated that the shapes and contours of the walls 512, 522,530, 532 of the fixture body 510 could be different. The slot 526 couldbe shaped differently based on the shape of the anchor 8 and theprojection 78 extending downwards from the armrest mounting portion base77. The fixture 500 and the armrest projections 80, 82, 84 arecontemplated to be symmetrical so as to be usable for attachment ofaccessories on either the right or the left sides. It is alsocontemplated to have multiple slots instead of a single slot 526.

With reference to FIG. 14F, the inner surface of the vertical wall 522has several projections extending inwards from the wall 522 towards theside tunnel surface 13 when the fixture 500 is attached to the tunnelupper surface 12. A projection 540 is shaped to mate with the lowersurface of the bridge 84 and the prongs 80, 82 on the side surfaces. Theprojection 540 also defines the fastener hole 521. The projection 540blocks the downward motion of the prongs 80, 82 when inserted into thefixture 500. Projections 542 which define the gap in the outer wall 522,abut the side surfaces of the prongs 80, 82 when the armrest 74 isinstalled in the fixture 500. The projection 540 and 542 prevent forwardand backwards motion of the armrest mounted 74 in the fixture 500. Theprojections 540, 542 in the fixture 500 are in the form of walls andsurfaces enclosing hollow spaces, however, they are contemplated todefine other structures, either solid or hollow.

When the armrest 74 is fully inserted in the fixture 500, the bridge 84is supported on the projection 540. It is contemplated that the anchorlock 22 could be aligned with the lower surface 550 of the upper wall512 directly adjacent the wider section 528 of the slot 526 when thefixture 500 is supported on the projection 540. Thus, in the lockedposition of the anchor 8, the armrest 74 would be additionally held inthe fixture 500 by the anchor lock 22 engaging the lower surface 550 ofthe upper wall 512 from underneath and the bridge 84, disposed below theanchor lock 22, engaging the upper surface of projection 540 from above.

It is also contemplated that the anchor base 20 and anchor lock 22 couldengage respective upper and lower surfaces of a horizontal projectioninside the fixture 500 parallel to the slot 526, instead of the lowersurface 550 of the upper wall 512 and an upper surface in the armrestmounting portion base 77, in order to anchor the armrest 74 to theprojection 550 and preventing it from being pulled out of the fixture500. This configuration could be useful for instance, if the upper wall512 has a thickness different than the separation between the anchorbase 20 and anchor lock 22.

An inner plate 536 (best seen in the fixture 500R shown in FIG. 13B)extends downwards from the inner edge 516 of the upper wall 512. Theinner plate 536 is removably attached to the upper wall 512 by thefasteners in the holes 520 which attach the upper wall 512 of thefixture 500 to the tunnel upper surface 12. The inner plate 536 preventsaccess to the portion of the interior of the body 510 extending abovethe level of the tunnel upper surface 12. It is contemplated that theinner plate 536 could extend further down or that the inner plate 536not be provided. It is also contemplated that the inner plate 536 couldbe attached fixedly to the upper surface 512.

The fixtures 200, 500 have been described exemplarily for attaching to atunnel 4 of a snowmobile 1, however, it is contemplated that thefixtures 200, 500 could be used with any surfaces disposed at otherangles and in different locations in the snowmobile 1 or in vehiclesother than a snowmobile. The fixtures and attachment mechanisms could beused for wide range of accessories not limited to the ones describedherein.

1. An anchor fixture for vehicle accessories comprising: a fixture bodyhaving a base, the base being adapted to be connected to a vehiclesurface; an anchor aperture defined by the fixture body, the anchoraperture being adapted to receive therethrough an anchor of a firstvehicle accessory; an anchor chamber communicating with the anchoraperture, at least a portion of the anchor chamber being disposedoutwardly of the anchor aperture in a direction perpendicular to acentral axis of the anchor aperture, the central axis of the anchoraperture being normal to the anchor aperture; and a fastener aperturedefined at least in part by the fixture body and communicating with theanchor chamber, the fastener aperture being adapted to receive afastener of a second vehicle accessory therein, a central axis of thefastener aperture being one of: parallel to the base, and at an acuteangle to the base, the central axis of the fastener aperture beingnormal to the fastener aperture.
 2. The anchor fixture of claim 1,wherein the anchor aperture has an elongate shape.
 3. The anchor fixtureof claim 1, wherein the fastener aperture is defined by the fixture bodyand the vehicle surface.
 4. The anchor fixture of claim 1, wherein thecentral axis of the fastener aperture is generally perpendicular to thecentral axis of the anchor aperture.
 5. The anchor fixture of claim 1,wherein the anchor aperture is defined in a surface of the fixture bodyopposite to the base.
 6. An anchor fixture system for vehicleaccessories comprising: at least one anchor fixture according to claim1; and at least one anchor having an anchor base and an anchor lockextending from the base; wherein the anchor is adapted to selectivelyengage the anchor fixture wherein at least a portion of the fixture bodyadjacent to the anchor aperture is held between the anchor lock and theanchor base; the anchor lock is rotatable about an axis perpendicular tothe anchor base between an unlocked position wherein the anchor lock ismovable through the anchor aperture of the anchor fixture and a lockedposition wherein the anchor lock is blocked by the anchor aperture; andthe anchor lock is rotatable in the anchor chamber, between the unlockedposition and the locked position.
 7. An accessory base, comprising: aframe adapted to be attached to at least a portion of a bottom surfaceof an accessory; a tongue attached to the frame at a first end portion,the tongue adapted for insertion into a fastener aperture; an anchorattached at a second end portion of the frame opposite the first endportion, the anchor having an anchor base and an anchor lock extendingfrom the anchor base, the anchor lock being rotatable about an axisperpendicular to the anchor base between a locked position and anunlocked position.
 8. The accessory base of claim 7, further comprisinga lever; wherein a portion of the lever is disposed outside the anchor;the lever is rotatable with the anchor lock; and the lever is rotatableto move the anchor lock between an unlocked position and a lockedposition.
 9. The accessory base of claim 8, wherein the lever isrotatable between an opened position when the portion is extendingoutwards from the accessory base and a closed position when the portionis disposed adjacent to the accessory base; the anchor lock is in theunlocked position when the lever is in the opened position; and theanchor lock is in the locked position when the lever is in the closedposition.
 10. The accessory base of claim 9, further comprising a strapattached to the frame on one side of the lever; wherein the strapselectively extends over the lever and removably attaches to the frameon a second side of the lever.
 11. The accessory base of claim 10,further comprising a strap connector on the frame on the second side ofthe lever for connecting the strap to the frame.
 12. The accessory baseof claim 7, wherein the accessory base frame has defined thereon atleast one fastener hole adapted to receive a fastener therethrough forattaching the accessory base to the accessory.
 13. An accessorycomprising: an accessory body having a bottom surface; and an accessorybase according to claim 7, the frame of the accessory base beingremovably attached to at least a portion of the bottom surface.
 14. Asystem for attaching an accessory to a vehicle surface, comprising: anaccessory according to claim 13; and atleast two fixtures, each fixturecomprising: a fixture body having a fixture base, the fixture base beingadapted to be connected to the vehicle surface; and a anchor aperturedefined by the fixture body, the anchor aperture being adapted toreceive therethrough an anchor.
 15. A vehicle, comprising: a frame; aseat connected to the frame; a propulsion system connected to the frame;a driving system operatively connected to the propulsion system; aplurality of external vehicle surfaces connected to the frame andenclosing the frame; at least one anchor fixture according to claim 1,the base of each of the at least one anchor fixture being connected toat least one of the plurality of external vehicle surfaces.
 16. Thevehicle of claim 15, wherein the at least one anchor fixture is twoanchor fixtures fixed on the vehicle surfaces and spaced by a gap. 17.The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the two anchor fixtures are orientedwith the fastener apertures facing each other.
 18. The vehicle of claim15, wherein the at least one of the plurality of vehicle surfaces is ahorizontally extending surface; and wherein the vehicle furthercomprises a pin connected to a surface extending at an angle to thehorizontally extending surface aligned with the at least one anchorfixture.
 19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is asnowmobile and the at least one anchor fixture is fixed to a tunnel ofthe snowmobile.
 20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein the at least oneanchor fixture is pairs of anchor fixtures fixed on the surface abovethe tunnel of the snowmobile, each pair being disposed on opposite sidesof the tunnel and oriented with their fastener apertures facing eachother.
 21. The vehicle of claim 19, further comprising a pin, having ahead and a stem, attached to a surface on a side of the tunnel alignedwith one of the at least one anchor fixtures. 22-41. (canceled)
 42. Amethod of installing a plurality of accessories on a vehicle surface;the vehicle surface comprising a first anchor fixture and a secondanchor fixture separated by a gap; each anchor fixture comprising: afixture body having a base connected to the vehicle surface; an anchoraperture defined by the fixture body, the anchor aperture being adaptedto receive therethrough an anchor of the accessory; and a fasteneraperture defined at least in part by the fixture body, the fasteneraperture being adapted to receive a tongue of the accessory; a firstaccessory comprising: a tongue attached at a first end portion and ananchor attached at a second end portion, the first and second endportions being separated by the gap; the tongue adapted for insertioninto a fastener aperture; the anchor having an anchor lock adapted to beinserted into an anchor aperture of an anchor fixture and rotatablebetween a lock position and an unlock position to selectively engage theanchor fixture; a second accessory having an accessory body having ananchor aperture defined therein; the method comprising: inserting thetongue into the fastener aperture of the first anchor fixture; loweringthe second end portion of the first accessory towards the second anchorfixture; aligning the anchor lock of the first accessory with the anchoraperture of the second anchor fixture; inserting the anchor lock of thefirst accessory into the anchor aperture of the second anchor fixturewith the anchor lock disposed in an unlock position; rotating the anchorlock of the first accessory to the locked position; placing the anchoraperture of the second accessory on the anchor aperture of the firstanchor fixture; and fastening the second accessory to the anchor fixturewith an anchor, the anchor having an anchor lock adapted to be insertedinto an anchor aperture of an anchor fixture and rotatable between alock position and an unlock position to selectively engage the anchorfixture.
 43. The method of claim 42, further comprising: before placingthe anchor lock of the first accessory on the anchor aperture of thesecond anchor fixture, placing a third accessory on the second anchorfixture, the third accessory having a third accessory anchor aperture;aligning the third accessory anchor aperture of the third accessory onthe anchor aperture of the second anchor fixture; and inserting theanchor lock of the first accessory through the third accessory anchoraperture of the third accessory before inserting into the anchoraperture of the second anchor fixture.